Interested in taking up art as a profession? This summer, WCC is offering the atelier art course, which will meet Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from May 23 to July 1.

Atelier (pronounced ah-tell-yay) is the French word for workshop or studio. The six-week course follows a method of art training developed in Europe during the 19th century and focuses on the classical techniques of drawing and painting of the Realist tradition.

Under the direction of artist William Zwick, the course is open to 24 students who will develop skills in sight-size/observational drawing, learn oil painting techniques used by the great European Masters and create academic cast drawings and figure paintings.

Zwick received his bachelor of fine arts from Laguna College of Art and Design in California. He then traveled abroad and studied for three years at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, one of the most prestigious atelier programs in the world. He won several teaching scholarships, along with best painting of the year in 2012. Zwick brings the knowledge, craftsmanship and classical realism techniques he learned in Europe to Hawai’i.

Atelier Hawai‘i is one of the few workshops of its kind in the nation and designed for students of all skill levels and background. The one-on-one nature of the course structure allows instructors to tailor critiques to the level of each student.

Students can earn six college credits for the course, or they can take the course noncredit. Tuition for residents is $1,488. Tuition for non-residents is $1,488 if taking for noncredit and $2,142 if taking for credit.

Artist Sean Yoro participated in the atelier back when he was enrolled at WCC. He always had an interest in art, but it wasn’t until he took a drawing class at WCC that he decided it was what he wanted to pursue.

“I will definitely say Windward Community College was the cornerstone to how everything started,” Yoro said in a 2016 WCC promotional video. “It sparked and ignited that passion that I really didnʻt know I had.”

His drawing instructor pushed him to do the atelier course, which exposed him to long hours of doing art. He got used to the intensity and stayed dedicated all day. Today, he is known for painting female forms while standing on his surfboard out on the water.

“Rededicating and committing yourself every day to owning your craft” is his advice for anyone wanting to be successful.

Email William Zwick at zwickwil@hawaii.edu to get on the atelier course registration list. Credit students can also apply online.

Credit students must also submit a TB/MMR health clearance and a portfolio of their observational work as a prerequisite.

For more information, call 235-7433 or visit windward.hawaii.edu/atelier.